Monday, April 30, 2012

RCI Cyberjournal

Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, has won the praise of the Dalai Lama for balancing human rights with the need to further economic ties with China. The Tibetan spiritual leader came to Ottawa to attend a convention of world parliamentarians on Tibet. His public talk Saturday was organized by the Canadian Tibetan community. Canadian parliamentarians from all three main federal parties attended. Speaking later at a news conference the Buddhist leader said he felt Mr. Harper has done well at developing a good relationship with China while also fostering Canada's democratic values. He said one of the things he did during the meeting with Mr.Harper was thank him for a previous agreement to accept 1,000 Tibetans into Canada from India over a five-year period.Mr. Harper irritated China in 2007 when he met publicly with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader and again in 2009 when the Dalai Lama was made an honourary Canadian citizen. China considers the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist.

Reputed Canadian crime boss killed in Mexico

A British Columbia man alleged to have crime connections across Canada has been shot dead in Mexico. The RCMP say Thomas Gisby was shot and killed in a coffee shop in the Pacific coast town of Nuevo Vallarta Friday night. They say Gisby was involved in importing illegal guns and drugs into British Columbia, and headed his own gang called the Gisby Group. the RCMP says is is concerned there may be retaliation for the killing back in Canada.

Student group rejects government offer

The largest of three student groups oposed to Quebec tuition increases has rejected the provincial government's latest offer. CLASSE made the announcement Sunday. It's expected that the two other groups meeting over the weekend will also reject the deal. Premier Jean Charest has offered to phase in the tuition hike over seven years instead of five and to improve the province's bursary program. A student strike that has seen thousands of students staging rallies and protest marches in Montreal is entering its 12th week. Although Quebec's college tuition fees are among the lowest in Canada, student leaders say that the increase is still too much.

Liberal leader says NDP popularity is a honeymoon phase

Canada's interim Liberal Party leader Bob Rae says he's not overly concerned about the trailing popularity of his party. He says it's perfectly natural for the NDP to be enjoying a honeymoon following the selection of Tom Mulcair as leader. And he says it means the Liberals have a lot of work to do. Recent polls put the Liberals well behind the official opposition New Democratic Party and the governing Conservatives. Rae told Nova Scotia Liberals meeting in the east coast city of Halifax to ignore the polls and concentrate on rebuilding the party. Rae remains coy about any ambitions to become permanent leader, only saying he will not be making any decisions until the rules for the leadership contest are set.

Former Canadian engineering excutive arrested

The former head of construction for Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin has been arrested in Switzerland. Riadh Ben Aissa is being held on accusations of corrupting a public official, fraud and money laundering tied to his dealings in North Africa. Justice officials in the Swiss city of Bern confirm they've been holding him since mid-April. He is the subject of an ongoing investigation for his business dealings in Tunisia and in Libya where he is said to have helped SNC-Lavalin win billions of dollars in projects from the Gadhafi regime. He resigned his position at the engineering firm in February, along with SNC-Lavalin VP controller Stéphane Roy. SNC-Lavalin itself has been under a cloud for weeks. Swiss officials say they requested the RCMP to conduct a search of SNC-Lavalin's Montreal headquarters on April 13. That raid saw thousands of documents seized and a dozen executives questioned. The company in March announced it was contacting the RCMP after internal audits discovered $56 million in improper payments under Ben Aissa's watch.

International

General strike in Bangladesh

Schools and businesses are closed in Bangladesh as part of an opposition alliance strike. Strikers want the government to find an opposition leader who went missing nearly two weeks ago. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party is leading the nationwide strike, demanding the government find the party's organizing secretary, Elias Ali. The opposition blames the government and security agencies for Ali's disappearance, but authorities deny it. A rights group says at least 22 people, mostly politicians, have disappeared this year in Bangladesh. Last week, the opposition enforced three days of general strikes calling for Ali to be found.

UN Secretary General visits Burma

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a landmark visit to Burma Sunday to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and press the government for more democratic reforms.The trip is his first since a reformist government took office a year ago. On Saturday, the EU foreign policy chief announced the EU would open an embassy-level office in the country. Before arriving in Burma, Mr Ban said the country was "re-opening to the world".

Al-Qaida releases soldiers in Yemen

Al-Qaida in Yemen says it has released 73 soldiers captured by its fighters during battles with government forces in the south of the country. The terror network said in an emailed statement that the release of the soldiers followed mediation efforts by tribal elders and senior clerics. Relatives of some freed prisoners confirmed the release. The soldiers were freed Sunday in the city of Jaar in the southern province of Abyan in a ceremony attended by several al-Qaida leaders based in Yemen.

Kenyan worshippers attacked

An explosion in a church in Kenya has killed one person and wounded at least 15 others.It happened as Christians gathered for worship at the "God's House of Miracle Church" in Nairobi. Police say the blast was caused by a hand grenade.This is the latest in a string of grenade attacks in Kenya since government troops entered neighbouring Somalia last year. Since then, Al- Shabab militants in that country have vowed to carry out attacks on Kenya.

Attack on Catholics in Nigera leaves at least 16 dead

Police say at least 16 people were killed and several others injured in an attack on a university campus in northern Nigeria. The attack took place on the Bayero University campus where Catholics were holding a Sunday service.Police say the gunmen rode into the campus on motorcycles and used small explosives within soda cans to scare worshippers out of the building. The gunmen shot those who fled. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack,though it mirrors tactics previously used by a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram. That group carried out a co-ordinated assault in Kano in January that killed at least 185 people.

Chinese government arresting allies of blind activist

Authorities in China have begun arresting people connected with activist, Chen Guangcheng. The dissident is blind and was under strict house arrest but somehow escaped and is is now believed to be taking shelter at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. Chen is known for exposing brutalities associated with China's one child policy, including forced abortions. His escape comes at a sensitive time for the United States and China.This week, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will visit China. In the past Mrs Clinton has called for Chen's release. While Chen escaped a week ago from Dongshigu village, his wife and 6-year-old daughter were left behind. The whereabouts of several other relatives, including Chen's mother and brother, are unknown. Seven lawyers have volunteered to defend Chen's nephew, Chen Kegui, who allegedly confronted and stabbed local officials who stormed his house in the middle of the night on Thursday in apparent retribution for the activist's escape. the Chinese government has made no official comment on the matter. A top White House aide on Sunday said President Barack Obama wants to strike an "appropriate balance" between advancing human rights and maintaining U.S. relations with China, It's the first public comment by the administration on its potential involvement in harbouring Chen. However, John Brennan, Obama's counterterrorism adviser, would not say whether Chen,is hiding in the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

British Red Cross doctor killed

The body of a British doctor held captive in Pakistan since January has been found dumped in an orchard in Quetta. Police say Khalil Rasjed Dale was beheaded.There was a note left stating he was killed because a ransom had not been paid. Khalil Rasjed Dale was managing a Red Cross health program when he was seized by armed men. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but separatist and Islamist militants in the area have kidnapped for ransom before.

Sports

SPORTS

BASEBALL

The only Canadian team in Major League Baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays, defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-0.

SOCCER

In Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake beat Toronto F-C 3-2.. T-F-C tied for an M-L-S record with a seventh straight loss to start the season.

FOOTBALL

The Denver Broncos selected Canadian centre Philip Blake of Baylor in the fourth round of the U.S. National Football League draft. . Defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi of Ottawa went to the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round.

GOLF

Canada's Graham DeLaet was two shots off the lead going into Sunday's round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. DeLaet fired a 66 to pull within striking distance of clubhouse leader Jason Dufner.